1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to articles of footwear adapted to support the traditional functions of footwear as well as to facilitate sliding over, for instance, a pipe rail, curb, an edged surface or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Athletes donning in-line skates or riding skateboards and leaping onto curbs, rails, or other manmade obstacles to contact the metallic or wooden surface of the skate or skateboard with the curb and sliding therealong has come to be known as "grinding". The continued increase in popularity of grinding has led to a demand for athletic shoes incorporating a plate for performing similar and novel sliding maneuvers over rigid support surfaces commonly found outdoors in a variety of places such as parking lots and walkways as well as those built at manmade skate parks. Examples of such devices can be seen in our earlier application U.S. Ser. No. 08/890,595, filed Jul. 9, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,451 and sold under the to brand name of SOAP.RTM.. Generally, the SOAP.RTM. brand shoes enable normal walking and running functions while incorporating a plate recessed upwardly from the bottom surface of the shoe sole for grinding along the rigid support surfaces as provided by pipe railings, curbs, and similar objects.
While the above referenced apparatus has enjoyed considerable commercial success, athletes continue to demand additional features and or performance from their grinding equipment. One such feature commonly demanded is speed control. This feature is generally useful in performing some advanced grinding maneuvers but is particularly in demand for beginners who lack experience in handling the speed that can be generated during grinding especially on steeper grades. While an example of a grinding shoe apparatus that attempts to deal with this problem can be found in U.S. Ser. No. 09/132,838, filed on Aug. 12, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,450, this device incorporates a wear resistant tab secured between the upper and the plate and having abrasive surfaces to enable the grinder to roll over the shoe and contact the rail to slow down the speed of the slide. This device is primarily for protecting the upper against excessive wear and may require a significant amount of rolling prior to engagement with the support surface to provide a braking function.
Other features commonly demanded are lighter equipment and for a large segment of the population just starting out, stability is preferred over maneuverability until some experience is gained.
What is needed and heretofore unmet by current grind wear, is a grinding shoe that meets the demands of athletes insisting on speed control features, overall lighter weight shoes, and enhanced stability.